Garment and like presses



June 26, 1956 J. SIMPSON, JUNIOR GARMENT AND LIKE PRESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1953 June 26, 1956 J. SEMPSON, JUNIOR 2,751,599

GARMENT AND LIKE PRESSES Filed May 21, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 2, 1956 J. SIMPSON, JUNIOR 2,751,599

GARMENT AND LIKE PRESSES Filed May 21, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 26, 1956 J. SEMPSON, JUNIOR 2,751,599

GARMENT AND LIKE PRESSES Filed May 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 7 GARMENT AND LIKE PRESSES JohnSimpson, Junior, Luton, England, assignor to himself and John Simpson Application May 21, 1953, Serial No. 356,565 14 Claims. (Cl. 38-22) This invention concerns improvement relating to garment and like presses, such as are used for hot-pressing .in laundries, of the kind comprising ahorizon-tally rotatable carrier with two or more tables which can be brought in. turn into the pressing position, that is into a position in which aram can be operated to effect-pressing.

Known presses of this kind comprise a fixed presshead and a vertically movable ram by which the table in position is raised to press arr-article against the head, the tables and head being steam heated. Generally the ram is operated by fluid pressure and it is also known to turn the carrier by fluid pressure always in the same direction of rotation With such fluid-pressure operation, .it has :already been proposed that the cycle of each individual pressing operation should be separately. initiated and automatically completed in response to a single. action purpose set forth comprises a valve device which itself controls the communication of fluid pressure both to .theiramand tov carrier-turning gear-and which is operatively associated with an operators controldevice, such asapedal-operated device, and with .the carrier-turning gear or ,the carrier in such a mannerthat automatically repeated cycles. ofoperation of the press can be. obtained by a single action of thecontrol device .and a single completed. cycle by .two actions of the said device by. the- .operator.

Preferably the .valvedevice comprises a singlepiston valvewhieh is moved, subject to the action of. the'con- .trol. device, towards one. endposition in dependenceupon the position of the carrier-turning gear andtowards. the

other end position. in dependence upona timing. device which determines the duration of the pressing action. The control. device may comprise a simple valve which, subject to the action of the aforesaid valve device, also controls the-communication of pressure to the. vcarrierturning means. This valve may be so associated with. a

areleasedevice for a clutch coupling the. carrier-turning means to the carrier that. pressure cannot be. passed..:to thelcarrier-turning gear if. the release device is in the clutchrreleasing position. I

I .The valvedevice may be .operatively associated with .the carrier-turning gear or-carrier through. mechanical .means. ciated with the carrier-turning gear simply bythe com- ..m'unication to it of pressure controlled in. dependence Preferably, however, the valve. device is assoupon .theposition of the said carrier-turning gear; This has the advantage of obviating mechanical connection or engagement between the carrier and the valve device witha consequent gain; in simplicity. As additionah. mechanical locating means for the carrier can also be 2,751,699 Patented June 26, 1956 '2 dispensed with, the mechanical apparatus of the press can be made particularly simple.

'One preferred manner of carrying the invention into elfectwill now be described by way of. example and with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, partly in section.

Figure 2 is a partial plan view showing the disposition of certain parts, and

Figures 3 and 4 are the left and right hand halves respectively of a view showing the several elements of the control arrangement in section without regard to their actualposit-ion in the machine, the fluid-pressure connections between the elements being indicated purely diagrammatically.

The press itself may be assumed to be generally sim ilar to that described and illustrated in the specification my United States patent application Serial No. 156,241.; Briefly the press comprises a base 1, a press head 2 and a rotary table carrier 3 (Figural). The base lhouses a cylinder 4 for the piston 5 of a ram 6. The head 2, provided with known means (not shown) for the circulation of heating steam, is supported from the base .1 by goose-neck columns 7. Two tables 8 are carried in the ends of the arms 9 of the carrier 3- by means Qfstems 10 which are guided in and extend below thewsaid' arms. The carrier 3 is supported by a bearing structure 11 which projects from the "base 1 and comrelative iprises a known arrangement (not shown)" for the inlet and exhaust of steam circulated through the table's-18. 'An. externally toothed ring 12 situated above the bearstructure 11 and connected to the carrier 3* meshes with a toothed wheel 13 which is normally coupled "by clutch 14 to a driving pinion 15. This pinion meshes with racks 16,- 17- (Figure 3) formed on pistons t8,-19 which work in a carrier-turning cylinder 20 and a return cylinder 21' respectively, movement of the piston 18 being subject to the control of a dashpot device 22.

The control mrangement, with which the presentinvention is primarily concerned, consists generally of an automatic valve device comprising .a single horizontally disposed selector valve 23- disposed underit he cylinder '4, an operators control valve comprising a pedal-operated valve'24and timing means'ZS (Figure 4):. The slid- .ingv'alve body 26 01? the piston valve 23- has fourheads or pistons 27, 28, 29, 30 at intervals a-longitslength, each provided with-a packing. .As' shown, thexintermediate-heads 28, 29 are each provided with a bucketleatherpacking, while the and beads 27, '30 .areeach provided-with an; 0-packing, that is a known form of rubber sealingring projecting slightly from the groove oi circular cross section housed in a groove elf-rectangular section inthe respective head.

As long as .thepress is in use, pressure air is supplied to; the space between the two heads 28, 29 through-a ftoexhaust through a line .b and the ports '32, 33 is the lower end of a cylinder 34 containing the piston35 of a ram device =f.or releasing'the clutch 14. The clutch it- =selt and its-manner of operation may suitably be such are described inthe specification referred to above. l n the aforesaid left-hand position of the valve body'26,

the ciutchwl l-is. engaged and the pinion 15 is coupled to thelcarrier 3. through the clutch andthe toothed gearing -To theleft of the head 28, the valve body 26 carries a flange 36 working in a widened portion of the valve cylinder between two shock-absorbing rings 37 which gently arrest the valve body in its two end positions. To the left of the head 27, there is a closed chamber,38 to which pressure is admitted at a certain stage 'of the cycle of operations, as hereinafter described, by way of a line c and a port 39 in the cylinder 20. To the right of the head 30, there is a closed chamber 40 which is connected by a line d to the lower end of a pressure build-up cylinder 41 forming part of the timing means '25. In the aforesaid left-hand position of the valve body 26, pressure from the port 31 is communicated through a port 42 and line e to the upper end of asmall cylinder 43 in which works the piston 44 of the valve '24. This valve controls the communication of pressure through a port 45 and line f to the end ofthe carrierturning cylinder 20. The valve piston 44 is actuated through a linkage 46 by an operating means comprising a pedal 47, the linkage including a spring-loaded toggle means 48 devised to pass through a dead-centre condition when the pedal is operated so that the pedal and linkage will always remain in the position to which they have last been moved by the operator. In Figure 1, the pedal is shown in the normal position and, in Figure '4, in.the depressed position. The valve piston 44 is also arranged to be interlocked with the piston 35 of the clutch-release device in such a manner that the former cannot be lowered by depression of the pedal 47 to the position for communicating pressure to the carrier-turning cylinder 2.0 if the piston 35 is in the raised, clutchreleasing position. This interlock effect, which thus ensures that the carrier-turning gear will not be operated unless it is coupled to the carrier 3 by the clutch 14, is

provided for by arranging the valve piston 44 parallel to the clutch-release piston 35 and providing the plunger 49. of the latter with .a bracket 50 engageable with a shoulder under the piston 44.- To permit the valve piston 44. to be held by the bracket 50 in the raised, closed position irrespective of the position of the pedal 47, the linkage 46is not positively connected to the piston 44 but acts upon its piston rod 51 through a push rod 52. The said rod 52 serves as retaining means for the operators I Figure 3 and the clutch-release piston 35 is in its lowered control valve 24 and the toggle means 48 constitutes means for automatically holding the said retaining means in the position to which it is set.

In its raised, clutch-releasing position, the piston 35 uncovers a port 53 which allows pressure from line b position, the clutch thus being engaged. If the pedal 47 is then depressed (i. e. rocked anti-clockwise to the position shown in Figure 4), the valve piston 44 will descend and uncover the port and allow pressure to be communicated from supply line a through port 31, port 42, line e, cylinder 43, port 45 and line f to the carrierturning cylinder 20 whose piston 18 thereupon rotates the carrier 3 through 180 by way of the pinion 15, the engaged clutch 14 and gearing 13, 12. Before the termination of its carrier-turning movement but comparatively late in that movement, the piston 18 uncovers the port 39 leading through vline'c to the chamber 38 at the left-hand end of the selector valve 23, so that the valve body 26 is urged to the right-hand end position shown in Figure 3. The communication of pressure by way of the port 42 to the carrier-turning cylinder 20 is thus cut 011 and pressure from the supply port 31 is communicated through the ports 32 to the table-raising cylinder 4 so that the piston 5 is raised to effect pressing between the head '2 and the table 8 which has just been brought into position. The uncovering of the port 39 by the piston 18 is arranged 'to occur so late in the carrier-turning movement that the movement will have been terminated under the control of the dashpot device 22 and the carrier will have been arrested in one of its pressing positions by the time the piston 5 commences to be raised.

Due to the movement of the valve body 26 to the right, pressure is also communicated through the ports 32 and line b to the cylinder 34 of the clutch-release device whose piston 35 is thus raised to release the clutch 14 and uncouple the carrier 3 from the pinion 15. The piston 35, in rising, also uncovers the port 53 so that the pressure is communicated through line g to the return cylinder 21 whose piston 19 therefore returns the pinion 15, and piston 18, uncoupled from the carrier 3, idly to its initial position. Towards the end of its movement, the piston 19 uncovers the port 54 and allows pressure to pass to the timing device 25, namely through line h, tube'55, passages 56, line 25 with throttling valve 57 and passages 60 to the pressure build-up cylinder 41. It is this stage of the cycle that is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

After a time period adjustable by the valve 57, the pressure in the cylinder 41 and chamber 40 will build up to a value sufiicient to overcome the resistance to movement of the valve body 26 and to return the said valve body to its initial, left-hand position, the chamber 38 to pass through line g to the end of the return cylinder 21.

The piston 19 working in the latter is in turn arranged to uncover, at the end of its outward stroke, a port 54 leading by line h to the lower end of a tube 55 passing coaxially up through the cylinder 41. At its other end, this tube is connected by passages 56 to a line i controlled by an adjustable throttling valve, for example a needle valve,

disposed in a housing 57 and operated from a convenient point through a shaft 58 and knob 59. Beyond the throttling valve, the line i is connected to: the upper. end of the cylinder 41 through passages 60 with which a pressure guage 61 also communicates. After uncovering of theport 54 by the piston 19, the time taken for the pressurein the cylinder 41 and valve chamber 40 to being at this time cut 011 from the pressure supply. Consequently the table-raising cylinder 4 and the clutchrelease cylinder 34 are connected to exhaust through the ports 32, 33, so that the table-raising piston 5 descends and the clutch 14 re-engages. The timing device 25 thus determines the duration of the pressing action. If the pedal is still in its depressed condition, i. e. if repeated build up to the value necessary-to return the valve body 26 to its initialleft-hand position will naturally depend upon :the degree of opening of the throttling valve 57.

. Theknob 59 is provided with an indicator 62 Working over a dial 63 calibrated in seconds.

The operation of the above-described arrangement is as follows:

I In the normal condition of rest with the pedal 47 in the position shown in Fig. l, the pedal-controlled valve piston 44 is-in its raised, closed, position, the valve body 26 is'in its left-hand end position, the table-raising piston 5 isin its lowered position,- the pistons 18, 19 of'the carrier-turninggear are in-the initial positions illustratedin returned to its left-hand position.

cycles are required, pressure is then re-admitted, through the still uncovered valve port 45, to the carrier-turning cylinder 20, so that a fresh cycle will automatically commence. Such cycles will be automatically repeated as long as the pedal 47 remains depressed.-

If however, the pedal 47 is returned to its initial position, i. e. rocked clockwise from the position shown in Figure 4, at any time after the carrier-3 has completed its turning movement, the above described cycle will be completed, but no fresh cycle will be commenced because pressure will remain cut off from the carrier-turning cylinder 20 by the covering of the port 45 by the valve piston 44 even after the selector valve body 26 has been Accordingly} singlecycle operation of the press can be obtained by two operations of the pedal 47 per cycle, a further depression of the pedal being necessary to initiate a fresh cycle.

By'restoring the pedal 47 to its initial position before the carrier 3 has completed its turning movement, the

carrier can be brought to rest and the cycle interrupted in order to allow the piston 5 to descend.

Thellength of the actual pressing period determined by ,the timing means 2'5 can be adjusted by means of the throttling valve 57.

I claim: v '1. A garment press comprising, in combination with arotatable carrier, press tables supported by thesaid carrier, fluid-pressure operated gear for turning the said carrier, a fluid-pressure operated r am device engageable with the said tables and'a fluid-pressure supply system connected to the said turning gear and ram device; a control arrangement comprising an automatic valve device andan operators control valve cooperative for controlling the communication of pressure in the said system, operating and retaining means operatively associated with said operators. control valve and movable by'the-opera- .1101: "between a valve-closing and arvalve-opening position,

means for automatically holding said retaining means in the position so set until moved by the operator to the other position, said automatic valve device having means for controlling the communication of fluid pressure to both the turning gear and the ram device for producing one cycle of operation of the press once communication has been opened through the operators control valve and for automatically causing the said cycle to be repeated as long as such communication is maintained through the said valve, whereby a single cycle of operation is obtained by movement of the said valve-operating and retaining means first to the opening and then to the closing position, whereas repeated cycles are obtained by leaving the said means in the opening position.

2. A press as claimed in claim 1, and comprising also a timing device, the automatic valve device being a single piston valve which is operatively associated with the carrier-turning gear and with the timing device for being moved towards one end position in dependence upon the position of the said turning gear and towards the other end position in dependence upon the said timing device.

3. A press as clained in claim 1, wherein the operators control valve is connected in series with the automatic valve device and the carrier-turning gear for controlling the communication of pressure to the latter.

4. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operators control valve is connected in series with the automatic valve device and the carrier-turning gear for controlling the communication of pressure to the latter, and a clutch for coupling the carrier-turning gear to the carrier and a fluid-pressure operated release device for the said clutch, the operators control valve being interlocked with the said release device so that the valve cannot be opened for communicating pressure to the said turning'gear when the said release device is in the clutch-releasing position.

5. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic valve device comprises a piston valve with four heads and two valve-operating chambers each of which is bounded by one of the said heads and to each of which pressure can be communicated for urging the piston valve towards a respective end position, while one other head controls the communication of pressure to the carrierturning gear and another controls the communication of pressure to the ram device.

6. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic valve device comprises a piston valve with four heads and two valve-operating chambers each of which is bounded by one of the said heads and to each of which pressure can be communicated for urging the piston valve towards a respective end position, while one other head controls the communication of pressure to the carrier-turning gear and another controls the communication offpre'ssure to the ram device, said automatic valve device and the operators control va1vebeing connected in series with the carrier-turning gear for controlling thecommunication of pressure to the latter.

7. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic valve device comprises a piston valve with'four heads and two valve-operating chambers each of which is boundedby one of the said heads and to each of which pressure can be communicated for urging the piston valve towards a respective end position, while one other head controls the communication of pressure to the carrier turning gear and another controls the communication of pressure to the ram device, a clutch for coupling the carrier-turning gear to the carrier and a fluid-pressure operated release device for the said clutch, the piston valve being connected to the said release device for controlling the communication of pressure thereto.

' 8. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic valve device comprises a piston valve .f'o'ur heads and two valve-operating chambers each of which is bounded by one of the said heads and to each of which pressure can'be'communicatedfor urging the piston valve towards a respective end position, while one other head controls the communication of pressure to the carrierturning gear and another controls the communication of pressure to the ram device, fluid-pressure operated return means for the carrier-turning gear, the piston valve being connected to the said return means for controlling the communication of pressure thereto.

9. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic valve device comprises a piston valve with four heads and two valve-operating chambers each of which is bounded by one of the said heads and to each of which pressure can be communicated for urging the piston valve towards a respective end position, while one other head controls the communication of pressure to the carrier-turning gear and another controls the communication of pressure to the ram device, fluid-pressure operated return means for the carrier-turning gear, a clutch for coupling the carrier-turning gear to the carrier and a fluidpressure operated release device for the said clutch, the said release device being connected to the said return means for communicating pressure thereto only when the said release device has operated to release the clutch.

10. A press as claimed in claim 1, and comprising also a timing device, the automatic valve device being a single piston valve which is operatively associated. with the carrier-turning gear and with the timing device for being moved towards one end position in dependence upon the position of the said turning gear and towards the other end position in dependence upon the said timing device, said timing device comprising adjustment means for determining the duration of the communication of pressure to the ram device.

11. A press as claimed in claim 1, and comprising also a timing device, the automatic valve device being a single piston valve which is operatively associated with the carrier-turning gear and with the timing device for being moved towards one end position in dependence upon the position of the said turning gear and towards the other end position in dependence upon the said timing device, said timing device comprising a pressure buildup vessel connected to said automatic valve device under whose control pressure is communicated to the said vessel.

12. A press as claimed in claim 1, and comprising also a timing device, the automatic valve device being a single piston valve which is operatively associated with the carrier-turning gear and with the timing device for being moved towards one end position in dependence whose control pressure is communicated to the said vessel landfluid-pressure operated return means for said carrier-turning gear, the said return means being connected 'in series with said build-up vessel for controlling the communication of pressure to the said vessel in such a manner that such communication does not commence until the said'return means has operated to return the turning gear.

i 13. A press as claimed in claim 1, and comprising also a timing device, the automatic valve device being a single piston v'alve which is operatively associated with the carrier-turning gear and with the timing device for being moved towards one end position in dependence upon the position of the said turning gear and towards the other end position in dependence upon the said timing device,

said timing device comprising a pressure build-up vessel connected to'said automatic valve device under whose control pressure is communicated to the said vessel, fluidpressure operated return means for said carrier-turning gear, the said return means being connected in series with said build-up vessel for controlling the communication of pressure to the said vessel in such a manner that such,

communication does not commence until the said return means has operated to return the turning gear, said buildpressure. can be communicated for urging the piston valve towards a respective end position, while one other head controls the communication of pressure to the carrierturning gear and another controls the communication of pressure'to' the ram device, said carrier-turning gear being connected to one of the valve-operating chambers of the piston valve for controlling the communicating of pressure to the said chamber in such a manner that'the valve isnot displaced until the said gear has operated to turn the carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Johnson Apr. 9, 1935 Gudgeon Sept. 9, 1952 

